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The new exhibition is now open – a photographic display of Leisure and Pleasure in Herne Bay. There’s a great selection of photos, four of which will be available as postcards, and we’re asking you to vote for your top three from the rest. The most popular eight photos will join the volunteers’ choices in next year’s calendar.

Please note that next year’s exhibition will be something along the lines of “Natural Herne Bay”, so start taking photos for it now!

There’s also the chance to see the entries for the children’s Deco Dress Design competition.

The museum is closed today, but that doesn’t mean it’s all stop. Yesterday was the last chance to view the Deco Dress exhibition, so this week everything related to that exhibition will be taken down, including the window display. The photos submitted for our Leisure and Pleasure in Herne Bay are being sorted and framed, and will be hung in the gallery this week ready for the start of the exhibition next Saturday. Volunteers are choosing their favourites to be made into postcards, and voting slips are being prepared for you to choose your favourites to join them in the 2019 calendar. The new window display is being prepared.

And there’s still all the other work that goes on in a museum and gift shop – checking stock, organising the rota, working on the rest of the exhibitions that are scheduled for the year, developing the outreach programme to involve families in the community, developing marketing and publicity, and carrying out building maintenance, to name just a few of the jobs.

During the next week, the rest of the museum is open as normal, but there will be no access to the front exhibition room. And of course our gift shop is open, with a wide selection of gifts and other items, many locally sourced.

From Saturday, we’re looking forward to revealing the entries for the photo exhibition and competition. Please come and vote!

The museum celebrated the launch of the new exhibition on Friday evening with a private viewing. Beer Brothers kindly sponsored refreshments, and there was a chance to chat to Sara Tomlin, whose discovery of the drawings sparked off the whole exhibition, and Marian Heath, who created the Elsa dress from the original drawing.

Marian will be holding a talk on the making of the 1920s Elsa dress on Sunday 7th January at the museum.

The exhibition provides a fascinating look into clothes and fashion in the 1920s, from regular wear to party wear. Themed activities include talks for adults and opportunities for children to try out their own design skills, including a competition to design party clothes inspired by the exhibition.

The exhibition is open until 21st January 2018. The museum is open Tuesday-Friday 11-3 and weekends 11-4.

Marian Heath of Kent Costume Trust, with her Elsa Dress, and Sara Tomlin, who found and rescued the collection

Children’s Events

Saturday 18th November Launch of our children’s competition: Design your own party clothes inspired by the 1920s.
Children are asked to design party clothes inspired by the Delving into Deco Dress and Design exhibition using any medium – crayons, glitter, material, paint etc. Prizes for the best designs. Competition closes Sunday 14 January 2018.

Saturday 25th November Children’s workshop Makea1920s party headband for Christmas

Here’s one I found earlier! A chance to learn about fossils found in the area on previous occasions.

During Bayfest this summer, one very popular event was a fossil walk. Due to popular demand, on Sunday we held our second fossil walk – children and adults met to learn from Phil Hadland about fossils in the area and how to find them. This included a chance to study items like the elephant’s tooth found in the area near the pier.

After learning about what to look for, and the best way to find interesting items, they headed down to the shore to have their own hunt, complete with sieves, tweezers and other essential pieces of equipment. And wellies. Definitely wellies.

Just some of the finds from the latest walk – sharks’ teeth and fossilised wood.

These walks have proved immensely popular, and we’ve received several requests for more. We are limited by tide times and expert availability, but watch this space for more information on any future events planned.

Don’t forget, there is further information about the town at the Seaside Museum, including fossils on display.